The in-car GPS navigation systems on the market today have a lot in common. Most systems use the NAVTEQ location database and have at least a 3.5-inch touch screen. And all GPS systems use radio signals from the same satellites. This means that what really differentiates navigation systems is the quality of the user interface and routing algorithms. Unfortunately, the XNAV3500P from Dual Electronics misses the mark on both.

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With a list price of $999, the expensive XNAV3500P uses SD memory and has a 3.5-inch, 320-by-240 TFT touch screen. In our test drive, we found that the 3.5-inch reflective screen, like others on the market, was difficult to view in bright sunlight. The unit doubles as a multimedia device and will play audio (MP3), video (.AVI), and display picture (.JPG) files. The included 1.0GB SD card comes preloaded with map data and 2 million points of interest (POIs). A DVD with map data and a CD containing Microsoft Activesync are included with the package.

Upon powering up, the main menu appears with its eight icons spread across two pages, six on the first page and two on the second. On the first page are menu selections for Navi (Navigation), Music, Movie GPS, and Brightness. The remaining two icons are used to set the time and to calibrate the touch screen.

The NAVI icon loads the navigation software and the map you used last. Here's where we start to see how far this device is behind units like the Lowrance iWAY 500C and the TomTom GO. To begin with, when initially powering up the XNAV3500P, you'll find no maps loaded into memory. That means if you select Show Map from the Navigation submenu, you'll get a blank screen. Before you can view a map, you must first select and load a map file from the map selection menu and choose from among the maps stored on the SD card. The map choices are unhelpfully named \Storage Card\Major1, \Storage Card\Major2, and so on, up to \Storage Card\Major6. You have to consult the quick-start guide to see which of the six files contains the grouping of states with your current location. Similar products from Garmin, Lowrance, Magellan, Navman, and TomTom all come with at least a preloaded base map.

Once you overcome this initial hurdle, you can choose between a 2D or a 3D display from within the Show Map mode. You can also set the map's orientation by choosing whether your course is displayed "up" on the screen or if north will always be "up." A hand icon allows you to navigate around the map by dragging it, and a "center" icon redraws the map centered on your current location.

The XNAV3500P has two modes of operation: basic and extended. In basic mode there are fewer options to confuse you, whereas extended mode will leave you awash in every feature available. There are a lot of features you can configure through the Settings menu. Routing options include profiles for slow, standard, or fast car. There are also profiles for Motorcycle, Heavy Truck, Bike, and Pedestrian. As with most other GPS systems, you can then select shortest or fastest route and decide whether you want to travel over interstates, ferries, or toll roads. The Settings menu also lets you decide whether to display the distance, time, and ETA to both the final destination and the next turn.

A Point of Interest navigation submenu allows you to navigate to POIs in three ways: nearby position, super-regional significance, and nearby browsed city. If you choose browsed city, for example, you can enter in the city or zip code. You can further limit your search by selecting from categories such as ATM, Public Transport, and Restaurants. Searched POIs are displayed alphabetically, but the street addresses aren't shown.

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